6 Reasons BPA is a Toxic Poison
I’m sure just about everyone has heard of BPA, but many people are still confused about its presence and safety risk. Simply put, bisphenol-A is a synthetic compound used in plastic and epoxy resins. What does that really mean to you? Think about everyday items like water bottles, sports equipment, CDs, and DVDs. On the epoxy side, you might have BPA lining the inside of food cans and water pipes, or in thermal paper (the kind used in receipts). Studies indicate the majority of Americans test positive for BPA. [1] Why is this a problem? Well for one thing, BPA can lead to endocrine disorders or other health problems. I’m going to run through 6 reasons why you’re much better off without this compound and some simple advice for how you can avoid BPA.
1. BPA is Especially Dangerous to Women
Recent evidence suggests that BPA is toxic to a woman’s ovaries. [2] One study found that after exposure, follicle production was fewer and smaller as the production of estradiol, a hormone necessary for normal reproductive development, had become stunted. [3] There’s even evidence suggesting that BPA exposure can shorten the reproductive lifespan and lead to infertility. [4]
2. BPA Causes Lung Problems in Kids
In addition to being harmful to a woman’s reproductive system, there’s evidence suggesting that exposure can also cause issues for the unborn child during pregnancy. [5] In a study of mothers and infants, the mothers with higher levels of BPA had children with decreased lung function. According to the study, each tenfold increase in the average BPA concentration corresponded to a 14.2 decrease in lung function. [6] The study also noted that the children were more likely to develop persistent wheezing by age 5, suggesting the very scary idea that an expectant mother’s BPA exposure can actually affect her child’s lung development.
3. BPA Leaches Into Bottled Water
Years ago, there was a concern that drinking from water bottles left in hot cars increased cancer risk. That was never proven, but what is certain is that toxic levels of BPA seep into water from plastic. For over four weeks, scientists studied plastic water bottles left in three different temperature conditions. The highest temperature — 158 degrees Fahrenheit — was chosen because car interiors can easily reach that on a hot day. In the hottest bottles, there was an increase in levels of BPA, suggesting that the levels of this poison steadily increase over time. [7]
4. BPA Pollutes the Air
It’s bad enough that BPA is in so many items, but recent evidence even suggests it’s polluting the environment. Chemical companies often use BPA as a plasticizer to make plastic stronger and, in 2013, over 26 tons of the stuff was released into the air. What does that mean for us? Well, not only do we have to worry about ingesting BPA or absorbing it through the skin, inhalation is also a concern. In fact, one study found that BPA is everywhere. [8] To give you some more perspective, another study found BPA in everyday household dust. [9]
5. BPA Raises Blood Pressure
Here’s another reason to avoid BPA: a study suggests that it can cause a small spike in blood pressure, something that could cause problems for those with hypertension. The Korean study followed 60 individuals as they drank the same brand of soy milk from BPA-free glass bottles and BPA-lined cans. Each individual was studied three times: as they drank from the bottles, as they drank from the cans, and as they drank from each. Not only was there an increase in systolic blood pressure when drinking from the cans, urinary concentration of BPA increased following consumption of the canned beverages by more than 1,600 percent compared with the consumption of the glass bottles. [10]
6. BPA is Confusing the Government
While it’s bad enough that it’s wrecking our health, it also seems to have a firm hold on the minds of our officials. Although the EPA recognizes that BPA is dangerous, the FDA says it’s safe. The EPA just recognized BPA, along with 22 other toxins, as a health risk; however, the FDA takes a markedly different approach. [11] While the agency recognizes that BPA is normally ingested, exposure levels are negligible and not a concern. [12] The FDA even claims that there is no risk to the unborn child. They cling to the belief that BPA is safe despite the number of studies suggesting otherwise.
Avoiding BPA
Avoiding BPA is a must, but be careful — a product with the BPA-free label doesn’t automatically mean it’s safe. Bisphenol-S (BPS) is a common replacement for BPA. Initially used because it was thought to be more resistant to leaching, BPS is just as bad. Once it gets into the body, it parallels the actions of BPA. [13] It seems as if BPA-free plastic might be just as harmful. So what can you do for your health? Make the smartest choice available to you and choose glass containers.
What do you do to keep BPA and alternatives out of your life? Let us know in the comments below.
-Dr. Edward F. Group III, DC, ND, DACBN, DCBCN, DABFM
-Mark Harris PhD, MFS, CSCS, SPN
References:
1. Vanderberg, L, et al. Human exposures to bisphenol A: mismatches between data and assumptions. Reviews on Environmental Health. 28 (1).
2. Peretz, J. et al. Bisphenol A and Reproductive Health: Update of Experimental and Human Evidence, 2007–2013. Environmental Health Perspectives. 122 (8).
3. Peretz, J. et al. Bisphenol A Impairs Follicle Growth, Inhibits Steroidogenesis, and Downregulates Rate-Limiting Enzymes in the Estradiol Biosynthesis Pathway. Toxicological Sciences. 119 (1).
4. Wang, W. et al. In utero Bisphenol A exposure disrupts germ cell nest breakdown and reduces fertility with age in the mouse. Toxicology & Applied Pharmacology. 276 (2).
5. Boxe-Blaszczak, A. BPA Exposure During Pregnancy Linked to Lung Problems in Children. Live Science.
6. Spanier, A. et al. Bisphenol A Exposure and the Development of Wheeze and Lung Function in Children Through Age 5 Years. JAMA Pediatrics. 168 (12).
7. Fan et al. Effects of storage temperature and duration on release of antimony and bisphenol A from polyethylene terephthalate drinking water bottles of China. Environmental Pollution 192.
8. Fu, P. Ubiquity of bisphenol A in the atmosphere. Environmental Pollution. 158 (10).
9. Bienkowski, B. BPA in the air: Manufacturing plants in Ohio, Indiana, Texas are top emitters. Environmental Health News.
10. Fox, M. Could the Chemical BPA Raise Your Blood Pressure? NBC News.
11. Rizzuto, P. EPA Adds 23 Chemicals, Including BPA, to Key List for Scrutiny, Possible Action. Bloomberg BNA.
12. Rizzuto, P. Bisphenol A Is Safe for Approved Uses In Food Containers, Packaging, FDA Says. Bloomberg BNA.
13. Bilbrey, J. BPA-Free Plastic Containers May Be Just as Hazardous. Scientific American.
Credits: Global healing Center, Houston, Texas
Texas Metabolics Addison, Texas
The Wonderful Benefits of Branch Chain Amino Acids better known as BCAA.
PART 1 of 2.
As I've stated in a few articles on select amino acids such as L-Glutamine the importance of these supplements are way understated. If you are looking for optimal health you really need to be taking a variety of these Amino-acids. I feel the same way about BCCA's outside of L-Glutamine and L-Arginine BCAA's are of the utmost importance for a multitude of reasons.
In the quest to build muscle, most athletes can't seem to get enough protein. We eat copious amounts of chicken, steak, eggs, and fish to get it. We isolate the various types of proteins like whey and casein and make them into powders to take advantage of different digestion rates. We don't stop there though, we then isolate individual amino acids that protein is comprised of and consume them separately as well.
Even the most serious of health minded people are left wondering why they need to take additional amino acids when they are already getting so many amino acids in all the protein they are consuming. The truth is that individual amino acids can influence muscle growth through a variety of different pathways, and of all the amino acids none have been shown to be more important than the branched chain amino acids.
Branched chain amino acid supplements (BCAAs) have been around longer than others such as creatine and beta-alanine, but few realized the full range of their capabilities regarding muscle growth and performance. Branched chain amino acids have jumped to the forefront of research in recent years and the results have been turning heads within the fitness industry. We now know that BCAAs go far beyond simply being building blocks for muscle tissue and can affect muscle growth through pathways few thought possible.
Let's take a look at just what are the BCAA's
The BCAAs are leucine, isoleucine, and valine. The name "branched-chain amino acids" is derived from the structure of these compounds. Each one has a forked outcropping that looks a bit like a branch, hence the name branched chain amino acids..The three BCAAs are incredibly essential and actually fall into the category of essential amino acids. Essential amino acids are amino acids that the body cannot synthesize on its own and therefore must get adequate amounts through dietary sources. In fact, even though there are about 20 amino acids that the muscles use for growth, the BCAAs comprise roughly a third of the aminos within muscle tissue. So if muscle growth is your goal BCAAs are a must.
How are the BCAA'a metabolized?
It may not seem like the metabolic process of different amino acids matters as long as the end point is muscle tissue. The truth is that the manner in which amino acids are metabolized plays a large role in their functions within the body. The metabolism of BCAAs is different that the metabolic processes of other amino acids. What truly makes the BCAAs special is how they are metabolized. While most amino acids are metabolized in the liver BCAAs are metabolized primarily by muscle. Despite their structural similarities the three branched chain amino acids have different metabolic routes. The breakdown of leucine is accomplished solely through fat pathways. Valine is broken down solely through carbohydrate pathways, and isoleucine through both. The different metabolic pathways of these three amino acids lead to varying requirements for each.
BCAAs, unlike most other amino acids, are metabolized in within muscle tissue, allowing them to be oxidized (used as energy) by muscle cells to produce cellular energy in the form of ATP. ATP is the primary source of energy that fuels muscle contraction and allows you to lift weights.
The fact that leucine, isoleucine, and valine are metabolized within muscle tissue allows them to be a quick energy source when the body needs it. There is a significant increase in BCAA metabolism during prolonged exercise simply because the body requires more energy during periods of stress such as training. This makes BCAAs incredibly effective when taken around workout time.
The unique metabolic processes, requirements, and versatility of BCAAs allow them to impact nearly every aspect of training.
BCAA's will improve performance
Improving performance during training is of utmost importance no matter what your goals. If you are an athlete, improved performance will help you in your sport of choice during actual competition. Improved performance is just as important to the health enthusiast as well since improved performance translates into more muscle mass, which eventually translates into more fat burning.
BCAAs have been proven in many studies to be a potent performance enhancer, and as previously mentioned, BCAAs make a great energy source for working muscles because of their unique metabolism. This can have a positive impact on performance. Not only can BCAAs be used as energy themselves but they also enhance fat oxidation in glycogen depleted subjects. This allows individuals to train harder for longer without fatigue due to the higher energy demands being met. This goes for both high intensity training as well as endurance training.
Another way that BCAAs can enhance performance is through their ability to spare glycogen during training. Found as stored carbohydrates within muscle tissue and the liver, glycogen is the favored fuel source for working muscles engaged in high intensity exercise. This makes glycogen availability and preservation vitally important if you wish to continue to train hard for longer periods of time. Studies have shown that by ingesting BCAAs before and during training glycogen levels can be spared by 25%. It is thought that the ingestion of BCAAs boosts blood alanine levels which gets converted to glucose in the liver and then sent back to working muscle to be used as fuel. This glycogen sparing effect of BCAAs will not only allow for longer more intense training sessions but also allows for faster recovery leading to a better workout tomorrow.
How do BCAA's effect hormonal function?
They are the primary determinant for how much muscle someone will build. They are what separate top level bodybuilders from the rest, elite athletes from everyone else, and cause the muscular differences between men and women. They are hormones! The hormones that are of most importance to us as serious lifters are anabolic hormones. Anabolic hormones are hormones within the body that promote protein synthesis (muscle growth), and the most notable anabolic hormones are testosterone, insulin, and growth hormone (GH). These hormones play a large role in controlling your muscle building destiny. Luckily it has been shown that BCAA intake can have a positive effect on anabolic hormone release.
Testosterone may be the most well know of the anabolic hormones. BCAAs can have a positive impact on testosterone levels when consumed pre-training. During intense training it is normal for testosterone levels to rise. After training is ceased testosterone levels will begin to fall back to normal baseline levels. Studies have shown that when athletes were given BCAAs prior to training, post-workout testosterone levels remained elevated for several hours, whereas the control groups noticed a significant drop in testosterone once training ceased. This can go a long way to maximizing growth from every single training session.
Ingestion of BCAAs not only increases testosterone in the post-training period but also builds muscle by improving the body’s testosterone to cortisol ratio. While testosterone is an anabolic hormone and promotes muscle growth, cortisol is a catabolic hormone and breaks down muscle tissue. Anyone looking to build muscle will want testosterone levels to remain high while minimizing the release of cortisol. It has recently been found that taking BCAAs while resistance training results in significantly higher testosterone levels with a lower creatine kinase and cortisol response. This leads to more muscle tissue being built and less muscle tissue being broken down.
Lastly, the amino acid leucine has also shown promise for increasing insulin sensitivity. Essentially, insulin sensitivity ensures that the insulin within your body maintains its effectiveness. This leads to easier fat loss, more muscle growth, and defense against diabetes.
The Basics on Dropping Body Fat.
We can't be any more basic than this. Here is a list or must do tips that will help you succeed in dropping body fat.
1. Do not weigh yourself but maybe once a week and right after you wake-up on an empty stomach. At most weigh once a week best would be twice a month. Weighing yourself daily will be hard on you mentally. There will be days that you hold water or constipation can make you appear heavier than you actually are. This will cause stress and that will cause you to hold onto body fat due to adrenal stress.
2. Instead of weighing yourself look at how your cloths fit and your measurements. If you exercise properly and eat a moderately high protein diet you may add muscle weight. That's a good thing because muscle gain will help you burn more calories especially fat. Muscle is 8 times more dense than fat so it is greater in weight with much less volume. You may actually gain overall body weight and wear much smaller cloths.
3. Have your trainer measure your body composition. A good trainer will have the skills to measure your lean body mass vs. your body fat percentage. By doing this that trainer can also establish your Basil Metabolic Rate (BMR), the rate of calories you burn resting in a 24 hour period. This is important to know because this is how you base your demand for calories when designing a custom nutrition program.
4. Simple rule to follow, burn more calories than you eat. This is the only way you will lose weight.
5. Drink allot of water daily. Staying hydrated is crucial when dropping body fat. If you do not have proper levels of water your body will shut the metabolism down. Most people should drink no less than 80 ounces of water daily while some of us will need in excess of a gallon.
6. Eat a diet that is moderately high in protein. Proteins break down into amino acids and each amino acid has a specific task to perform in the body. Without proper levels of protein the body will become catabolic and start feeding on its own muscle mass to extract the amino acids found within the muscle tissue. When this happens the metabolism starts to shut dowm and you quit burning calories and what weight you do lose is muscle weight not body fat!
7. -Eat frequently, rule of thumb is eat every three hours. This will keep you burning calories all day long and as long as your blood sugar stays within normal ranges it becomes next to impossible to burn muscle and sets up the perfect climate to burn body fat! Another rule is Eat for what you are about to do not for what you've already done. Eat your carbs and a good source of protein before you have any activities especially exercise.
8. Make sure you are getting no less than 6 hours sleep nightly but no more than 9 hours. Rest and recovery is vital for optimal health and keeping the immune system fully functional. By doing this your metabolism will work at peak levels and your fat loss will burn 24 hours a day.
9.Weight training and resistant exercise are the best for fat loss. Most people tend to think cardio exercise is the best way to drop fat, when in fact cardio exercise is the worst way to lose weight. too much cardio will slow the metabolism and help you store body fat. Interval training is optimal for fat loss.
10. Eating properly balanced nutritional meals during the day will help you burn fat. Eating properly is the key to success in any weight loss program.Don't eat enough you will burn muscle and store fat. Eat too much you will store calories, store body fat and shut down your metabolism.
If Your Metabolic Engine Has Stalled, It Could Be Inflammation
If your metabolism is stalled—or stuck in reverse—it would be helpful
to look at what might be keeping your body in a state of low-level
inflammation. It’s well established that weight gain is often a sign of chronic low-level inflammation, and frequently this is related to the foods you are eating.
Food sensitivities can lead you down the road toward insulin and leptin
resistance and can seriously hamper your metabolism.2 When you have a
food sensitivity or allergy, your body feels “attacked” by a food rather
than nourished by it.
Inflammatory molecules are then produced
and circulated to protect you from your body’s perceived threat,
causing you to decrease insulin and leptin sensitivity. Your body is
under stress so it uses its resources differently. This is typically
accompanied by a gut dysbiosis, an imbalance in the microorganisms in
your digestive tract.
In addition to food allergies and
sensitivities, inflammation can be caused by a number of different
factors, including poor sleep, environmental toxins, stress, and other
factors. Even overexercising may stall your metabolism by triggering
inflammation, pain, water retention, etc.
The foods most likely
to be pro-inflammatory are junk foods and highly processed foods,
grains, foods high in sugar (especially fructose), and GMOs. For help
with dietary strategies, please refer to my Optimized Nutrition Plan.
However, many people have food sensitivities to what would normally be
considered healthy foods, such as gluten, nuts, and dairy products.
It’s important to not rule out the possibility that you may be having
an unhealthy reaction to a “healthy” food. These food sensitivities can
be very subtle, so they can sometimes be challenging to identify,
requiring some trial and error.
Foods that can help reduce Inflammation.
Whey protein increases calorie burn and fat utilization, helps the body maintain muscle, and triggers the brain to feel full.
Protein in general has a tendency to rev up your metabolic engine due
to its thermogenic effects—meaning, it makes your body produce more heat
and in turn, burn more calories—but whey is particularly effective for
this.
A study published in the American Journal of Clinical
Nutrition found that fat oxidation and thermogenic effects are greater
with whey than with soy or casein.3
Consuming a high-quality,
rapidly absorbed, and easily assimilated whey protein concentrate, not
isolate within about 30 minutes of resistance training may maximally
stimulate muscle building in young healthy individuals, but this is
equally important, if not more so, for the elderly.
People tend
to lose muscle mass as they age. The leaner you are, the better your
metabolism will be, regardless of your age. There is only about a
two-hour window after exercise for optimal muscle repair and growth, and
supplying your muscles with the right food at this time is
essential—and whey is among the best.
Strength Training Is the Engine That Drives Fat Loss
Most adults need more muscle building activities, and strength training
(aka resistance training or weight training) is an excellent way to
achieve this. Working your muscles is the key to firing up your
metabolism—muscle contraction is the booster rocket of fat loss. Unlike
traditional cardio, strength training causes you to continue burning
more calories for up to 72 hours after the exercise is over through a
phenomenon called after-burn.
Not only does strength training
give your metabolism a boost, and increase your brain power but it’s
also an excellent way to reduce aches and pains, while at the same time
preventing osteoporosis and age-related muscle loss (sarcopenia). Light
walking is not enough to preserve optimal muscle tone, bone health, and
posture, so if you’re not engaging in strength training, chances are
you’ll become increasingly less functional with age.
Super-slow
weight training is a form of high-intensity exercise that has superior
metabolism-boosting benefits, especially for older individuals. What
does this involve? Basically, you just go much slower!
By
slowing down your movement, you’re actually turning it into a high
intensity exercise. The super-slow movement allows your muscles, at the
microscopic level, to access the maximum number of cross-bridges between
the protein filaments that produce movement in the muscle. Another
benefit of the super-slow technique is that it shortens your sessions to
12 to 15 minutes, just two to four of times per week.
Friendly Bacteria Can Help You Lose Weight
As mentioned earlier, health problems such as obesity, insulin
resistance, and heart disease are all rooted in inflammation, which must
be properly addressed if you wish to reach optimal health. Research
suggests there’s a connection between certain types of bacteria and body
fat. Bacterial imbalance in your gut can produce an exaggerated
inflammatory response, and toxic molecules (superantigens) produced by
pathogenic bacteria such as staph may play a role in the development of
type 2 diabetes due to their effects on your fat cells.
So, if
your metabolism has you feeling sloth-like, it may be that your gut
bacteria and fat cells are interacting to produce the “perfect storm” of
inflammation. A recent study published in British Journal of Nutrition
found that a certain strain of bacteria—Lactobacillus rhamnosus—seems to
help women lose weight and keep it off.4 This makes sense, given what
we know about lean individuals having different gut flora from obese
individuals.
Research also tells us there’s a positive-feedback
loop between the foods you crave and the types of organisms in your gut
that depend on those nutrients for their survival. Eating processed and
pasteurized foods worsens dysbiosis. Sugar, refined carbohydrates, and
junk foods promote the growth of disease-causing yeasts and fungi, and
cause certain bacteria to release endotoxins that drive inflammation,
resulting in metabolic changes that lead to overproduction of insulin,
increased appetite, excess fat storage, and obesity.
A
gut-healthy diet is one that eliminates sugars and processed foods and
is rich in whole, unprocessed, unsweetened foods, along with
traditionally fermented or cultured foods.
L-Glutamine in short!
The many benefits of this awesome Amino Acid!
Glutamine/glutamic acid, along with glucose, is one of the principle
fuels for the brain cells. It stimulates mental alertness, improves
intelligence, normalizes physical
equilibrium, detoxifies ammonia from the brain, improves and soothes
erratic behavior in elderly patients, improves the ability to learn,
aids in retaining and recall in memory, helps with behavioral problems
and autism in children, stops sugar and alcohol cravings, may improve IQ
in mentally- deficient children, enhances peptic ulcer healing, and may
be used to treat schizophrenia and senility.
Glutamine is the
most abundant free amino acid found in the muscles of the body. Because
it can readily pass the blood-brain barrier, it is known as brain fuel.
In the brain, glutamine is converted into glutamic acid—which is
essential for cerebral function—and vice versa. It also increases the
amount of Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which is needed to sustain
proper brain function and mental activity. It assists in maintaining the
proper acid/alkaline balance in the body and is the basis of the
building blocks for the synthesis of RNA and DNA. It promotes mental
ability and the maintenance of a healthy digestive tract. When an amino
acid is broken down, nitrogen is released. The body needs nitrogen, but
free nitrogen can form ammonia, which is especially toxic to brain
tissues. The liver can convert nitrogen into urea, which is excreted in
the urine, or nitrogen may attach itself to glutamic acid. This process
forms glutamine. Glutamine is unique among the amino acids in that each
molecule contains not one nitrogen atom but two. Thus, its creation
helps to clear ammonia from the tissues, especially brain tissue, and it
can transfer nitrogen from one place to another.
Glutamine is
found in large amounts in the muscles and is readily available when
needed for the synthesis of skeletal muscle proteins. Because this amino
acid helps to build and maintain muscle, supplemental glutamine is
useful for dieters and bodybuilders. More important, it helps to prevent
the kind of muscle-wasting that can accompany prolonged bed rest or
diseases such as cancer and AIDS. This is because stress and injury
(including surgical trauma) cause the muscles to release glutamine into
the bloodstream. In fact, during times of stress, as much as one third
of the glutamine present in the muscles may be released. As a result,
stress and/ or illness can lead to the loss of skeletal muscle. If
enough glutamine is available, however, this can be prevented.
Supplemental L-glutamine can be helpful in the treatment of arthritis,
autoimmune diseases, fibrosis, intestinal disorders, peptic ulcers,
connective tissue diseases such as polymyositis and scleroderma, and
tissue damage due to radiation treatment for cancer. L- glutamine can
enhance mental functioning and has been used to treat a range of
problems, including developmental disabilities, epilepsy, fatique,
impotence, depression, schizophrenia, and senility. It preserves
glutathione in the liver and protects that organ from the effects of
acetaminophen overdose. It enhances antioxidant protection. L-glutamine
decreases sugar cravings and the desire for alcohol and is useful for
recovering alcoholics. Many plant and animal substances contain
glutamine, but it is easily destroyed by cooking. If eaten raw, spinach
and parsley are good sources. Supplemental glutamine must be kept
absolutely dry or the powder will degrade into ammonia and pyroglutamic
acid. Glutamine should not be taken by persons with cirrhosis of the
liver, kidney problems, Reye’s syndrome, or any type of disorder that
can result in an accumulation of ammonia in the blood. For such
individuals, taking supplemental glutamine may only cause further damage
to the body.
The top 4 Oils that should be included in your diet.
1. Coconut Oil: Organic virgin coconut oil is one of the best choices
of good fat you can add to your diet. Coconut oil contains 90% saturated
fat and is made up of medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) which are easily
digestible and can drastically improve your health. MCFA’s are not
stored as fat because they are immediately converted to energy once
in the body. This oil is also very good to cook with because it remains
stable even under high temperatures. Coconut oil contains lauric acid
(a known immune stimulant), is rich in fiber, and contains essential
vitamins and minerals. Organic raw unrefined extra virgin coconut oil is
the best to use and should be solid at room temperature.
Benefits of consuming coconut oil include: Weight loss, immune system
support, cardiovascular health, increased energy, thyroid support,
healthy skin, hair and nails, improved cell regeneration, disables
fungus, bacteria and viruses, improves insulin secretions and protection
against free radicals.
2. Hempseed Oil: Hemp Seed oil is
derived from the seeds of the plant cannabis sativa. It provides all
the essential fatty acids (EFA’s) and essential amino acids, structured
in an easily digestible form to maintain human life. The oil is composed
of 80% essential fatty acids, the highest in the plant kingdom. It
contains the Omega 3,6 and 9 fatty acids. No other plant oil has a
perfect 3:1 ratio of Omega 6 to Omega 3 EFA’s. Hemp seed oil is also
great for vegetarians because it provides them with healthy fatty acids
without having to consume fish oil. Hempseed oil is also rich in vitamin
E and is the only plant which provides a source of Vitamin D.
Benefits of consuming Hemp Seed oil include: Cardiovascular support,
natural sunblock agent, helps high blood pressure, reduces PMS, lowers
high cholesterol, reduces inflammation, calms arthritis, soothes eczema,
assists the brain and nervous system, produces healthy cell membranes,
healthy skin, nails and hair, and can be used as skin moisturizer
without clogging pores.
3. Flaxseed Oil: Flaxseed
oil is extracted from the seeds of the flax plant. This oil contains 55%
of Omega 3 fatty acid by weight. Omega-3 refers to three types of fatty
acids, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and
docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Once consumed, the human body converts ALA
to EPA and DHA. This oil is also high in fiber and potassium. Flaxseed
oil requires special packaging because it is easily destroyed by oxygen,
heat and light. It is best to purchase organic flaxseed oil and keep it
refrigerated to preserve freshness.
Benefits of consuming
Flaxeed oil include: Helps crohns disease, colitis, soothes intestinal
walls, natural laxative, reduces high cholesterol, promotes healthy
hair, nails and skin, reduces symptoms of menopause and helps burn body
fat.
4. Olive Oil: Olive oil has been used as a medicine and
health aid since it was first cultivated around 5000BC. It is a
monounstaurated fat and contains vital vitamins, nutrients and
antioxidants. Olive oil has a large amount of vitamins A, D, and K, as
well as vitamin E, which are key sources needed to prevent free radical
damage. When purchasing make sure the olive oil is organic, cold pressed
and extra virgin.
Benefits of consuming olive oil include:
Promotes healthy digestion, protects against heart disease, eases
symptoms of gastritis and ulcers, lowers gallstone formation and reduces
high cholesterol.
Overcoming Bad Habits, Cravings and establishing new Healthier Habits.
Winter has arrived and this year so far it's been cold and wet. We have
much less sunlight and the weather is just miserable. With less time
outdoors we become sedentary and our
immune system is depleted. Flu season is in full swing and to top things
off many of us tend to gain weight and go through some form of
depression this time of year.
Re-aligning our biological or
neural pathways is one of the most powerful things people experience
when they go through the transformation process. And it happens, of
course, whether you know about it or not. I believe that being
consciously aware of the process can be an advantage, especially in
terms of “relapse prevention.” In this context, I’ll say relapse is
completely falling back into old and unhealthy eating habits.
Think of it this way – the old circuitry in our brains is like a dry
river bed. It’s always there, and as long as you’re consciously
diverting the energy flow in a new direction, it’ll remain inactive.
However, if we drift back into our old style of thinking, coping and
behaving, slowly but surely, it’ll eventually get to a point where it’s
like a damn bursts and the energy of those past patterns and it’s like
water gushing through the river bed again. When this happens, the pull
of those cravings and thoughts may even be stronger than they were
before. Anyone who’s yo-yo dieted, losing weight for a few months, only
to fall back into unhealthy eating habits, and subsequently gaining all
the weight back and more, has first-hand experience of this.
The good news is, there’s a solution and a sustainable one at that.
Albert Einstein said," The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting different results".
Once we realize that what we did before we started with the diet and
the training is what got us where we were before in the first place, we
can understand that we can not go back to that same place or we end up
right back where we started and in some people even worse than before.
DO NOT SET TIME LIMITS ON YOUR GOALS OR YOU WILL FALL RIGHT BACK INTO
THE SAME OLD ROUTINE ONCE YOU'VE FINISHED THAT TIME FRAME!!!
Please understand you did not get in the shape you're in overnight and you can't permanently fix it overnight either.
When I work with people who are seemingly stuck in any unhealthy
pattern, one of my first recommendations is to get moving with
high-intensity interval training. Intense, interval training has been
scientifically shown to double, even triple, the amount of fat the body
burns, compared to longer duration (an hour or more) of moderate
intensity exercise. It does this by boosting mitochondria size and
number within cells and that can dramatically increase the oxidation and
metabolism of stored body-fat for many hours after your workout is
over. That means the ”calories burned” reading on exercise equipment is
very under reported. What we really want is to burn more fat calories
all day not just while we are doing our workout.
Another one of
the powerful benefits of intense interval training is that is releases
healthy amounts of neurotransmitters called catecholamines (dopamine,
epinephrine, norepinephrine), which satisfy the primary reward centers
of the brain, boost energy and further accelerate fat loss. These reward
centers all too often become chemically depleted by our modern way of
life (inactivity, high stress levels, all work no play lifestyles). When
neurotransmitter levels burn out, it can make us vulnerable to bad
habits like binge eating.
Another fact is many of us get caught
up taking fat burners and become chemically dependent of these products
because they too will stimulate neurotransmitters as well. Sad thing is
once you stop taking them you fall right back into the same old trap
and that's if your training or not. Remember anytime you place a
chemical in the body it will have side effects.
More good news:
Intense training also increases endorphin and serotonin levels (which
make the brain happy); so much so, that over a period of a few months,
it is more effective in treating depression than the most widely
prescribed (212 million prescriptions written last year) anti-depressant
drugs. And what do you know, the intense exercise no side effects which
can’t be said for the prescription drugs.
Once our bodies
start responding hormonally and we start to feel the positive effects of
our efforts we can easily establish new habits that will keep us in
shape and motivated to continue. Remember the body adapts to its
environment. Remove the toxic fast foods and sugar from your diet and
push your body to its limits and you will see results that will amaze
you.
The biggest obstacle to overcome is to kick the addiction
of sugar and it's harmful effects on the body. As I mentioned in several
articles in the past, L-Glutamine taken before every meal and a healthy
dose before bed time will also aid you in overcoming the sugar
addiction and cravings for other foods. Now combine proper nutrition
along with intense interval training and you are fueling your body and
your brain for success.
So here’s my recommendation: If you
want to flip the switch from an unhealthy to a healthy appetite and
enjoy all the benefits which come with that, be sure to incorporate
high-intensity interval training into your training program. It will
help you break free from old patterns and crazy cravings. It will also
help you create new ones. And that, in turn, will help you enjoy
improved results that you can sustain for a long, long time.
